Had a couple DIY projects I did to help me out with a couple different things.  In the first one I wanted something to cover my motors when storing or just have sitting out since I worry about dust buildup, accidental debris, etc.  You can buy little covers for them but I am on a very tight budget so am trying to find ways to do these things with a minimal or no cost.  

If you look at first pic you see that I used the foam covers that you put inside wall outlets to insulate them, you dont use the little center pieces and so instead of throwing them away you can put a little hole in middle and use them as a motor cover; one thing I like is that its not the kind of foam that breaks little debris pieces off....they fit as-is or you can trim them a little on the edges for a more uniform fit...then just pop it on and push it all the way down til its flush so you widen the hole to the needed dimension.

Second, been looking at windsurfer antennas since I got my drone a few weeks ago and if you look at the picture you can see a small one next to the one on my RC.  The small one is the one they had a template for on the web and I had no results from that at all but I know the technology behind it is sound and (in my absolutely unprofessional opinion I saw two flaws in the design).  1.  its just too small and makes your 'los' for the signal way too tight,  2. the cross-support used to brace the parabolic part is in the middle and is a doubled up style that covers almost 1/3 of the 'dish'; I know the cardboard will not outright block the signal but anything in its parth can degrade it so I did two things;  first I made it much bigger and second (I built mine using cardboard from an Amazon box) I put a single layer brace (by that I mean I didnt make a bigger one you then fold in half) and I attached it at the very base of my parabolic.  Now, using this design I am unable to use my iPad mini but to be honest I have come to prefer my phone as I got tired of how bulky it all became using a tablet.  The cardboard 'strut' going across is also made from the same box so is a heavier cardboard and what I did was then cut a small piece to attach underneath where the hole is to give it more structural support.  The fit is really great now and my phone goes with it perfectly...just remember to put the hole for the antenna as close to the 'parabolic' part so it moves it from the RC itself as much as possible which gives you room for your device.

Anyway, I know probably a million people have ways of doing this as well just wanted to share what I had come up with.....I haven't got to test my antenna yet as we are stuck in a rainstorm for the next couple of days so I am just standing at the window with a sad look on my face and my RC in my hand   Once I can test I will come back and give my results with this one, with the size and antenna being clear along its length I am really hoping for a big increase!

Wow, nice try!

i would like to also know the results of your windsurfer ! looks like you will be pushing great range with that . keep us posted !

Looks like you have the aluminum facing the wrong side

Whats with this Aluminun stuff.
WE have had Aluminium Foil for years in the UK, but we use it for cooking.
Maybe thats were the UK is going wrong.
It would be good to find out how much further distance your baking tray will bake/make it fly...

Wow that thing looks serious! Lol. I made my first one as well and after getting crushed a few times in my car just decided to buy one off ebay.  The one I got was only like $20 and 3d printed with holes for the antennas. Anyway, just figured I'd chime in since I really like the one I found.

Hawks100 Posted at 2016-3-12 03:16
Whats with this Aluminun stuff.
WE have had Aluminium Foil for years in the UK, but we use it for co ...

I use it to make hats...so the government can't find out what i'm thinking.

flormo2002@yaho Posted at 2016-3-11 20:53
Looks like you have the aluminum facing the wrong side

Actually you can put the aluminum on any side but in this case I just folded the extra over the back to make it look more nifty, the front is covered as well   The rains have passed and tomorrow should be sunny so I will be testing this bad boy!

There's a lot more to a windsurfer than just throwing a reflective surface on the back.  This might work a little better than nothing at all, in that any transmission power to the rear will be scattered forward.  In order for these reflectors to be effective, they need to be parabolic in shape and focused. Just like in a car headlight, light from a point source (the light globe) is reflected at an exact angle so the beam is transmitted in parallel (concentrated) in a particular direction.  The shape of the reflector is called a parabola.  This is what will give you distance, otherwise the signal is randomly scattered.